Finding 1179671 (2025-003)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-03-16

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Missing supporting documents for payroll costs, including signed offer letters and approvals for wage changes.
  • Impacted Requirements: Federal regulations (2 CFR 200 section 303) mandate effective internal controls and documentation for payroll expenses charged to federal awards.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Management should enhance procedures to ensure complete retention of personnel records and approvals for all payroll-related changes.

Finding Text

Finding Number: Finding 2025-003 Program Name: Head Start and Early Head Start, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Pass Through Agency: Sonoma County (Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds) Type of Finding: Other Matter a. Criteria or Specific Requirement: Lack of Supporting Documents: Federal requirements under 2 CFR 200 section 303 state that the Organization must establish and maintain effective internal control over compliance, including controls to ensure payroll costs are charged to federal awards are supported by adequate documentation. Effective internal controls require maintaining sufficient personnel and payroll records, including executed offer letters, and written documentation of wage or position changes with appropriate approvals, to support payroll expenses charged to the program. Sonoma Community Action Network Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs Year Ended February 28, 2025 34 b. Condition: During payroll testing, we noted instances in which supporting documentation was not retained for payroll activity including missing signed offer letters and / or written approvals of wage or position changes. c. Context: 41 out of 50 payroll transactions tested, did not contain adequate personnel documentation. Missing documentation primarily related to missing signed offer letters and lack of written approvals for wage or position changes. d. Questioned Costs: None identified. e. Cause: The Organization does not have standardized procedures for employee onboarding and retaining supporting personnel documentation. f. Effect: Considered to be other matter and area which requires improvement in internal controls. Without adequate supporting documentation for payroll costs charged to federal awards, the Organization is at increased risk of charging unsupported or unallowable costs to the program. g. Repeat: No. h. Recommendation: We recommend that management reinforce procedures requiring retention of complete supporting documentation for personnel records including offer letters and written approvals of all wage and position changes.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2025-003 a. Program Name: Head Start and Early Head Start, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds b. Criteria or Specific Requirement: Lack of Supporting Documents: Federal requirements under 2 CFR 200 section 303 state that the Organization must establish and maintain effective internal control over compliance, including controls to ensure payroll costs are charged to federal awards are supported by adequate documentation. Effective internal controls require maintaining sufficient personnel and payroll records, including executed offer letters, and written documentation of wage or position changes with appropriate approvals, to support payroll expenses charged to the program. c. Condition: During payroll testing, we noted instances in which supporting documentation was not retained for payroll activity including missing signed offer letters and / or written approvals of wage or position changes. d. Response: We have implemented a new procedural checklist that accompanies any staff wage or position change. Within this we have clarified that wage changes must be accompanied by a formal letter that is signed by the employee, and that email communications will not suffice. This should ensure that in the future the official signed letters are collected in the format recommended for each such change.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1179669 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1179670 2025-003
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1179672 2025-004
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1179673 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1179674 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1179675 2025-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 1179676 2025-006
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
93.600 HEAD START $7.71M
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $1.38M
93.670 CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT DISCRETIONARY ACTIVITIES $263,977
21.026 HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE FUND $206,731
10.558 CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM $189,098
14.231 EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT PROGRAM $117,778
93.596 CHILD CARE MANDATORY AND MATCHING FUNDS OF THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND $43,334
21.009 VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM $18,579